Search results for ""epic""

Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) treated the spectacle of his tournaments, hastiludes, and mummeries as an art form unto itself. One of modern Europe’s most important sovereigns, he shaped the continent’s political map well into the 20th century, not least due to his keen awareness of the power of a good public display towards diplomacy and networking. From 1512 to 1515, Maximilian commissioned a massive, exquisitely detailed and illustrated manuscript of the 64 tournaments. The 255 elaborately gilt and silvered miniatures were more than just a collection of jousting scenes from the Habsburg court—from the grand melee and tilting at the lists to foot combat and closing ceremonies—they were an allegorical epic telling the story of an intrepid hero, a knight errant who is no other than Maximilian himself. In the guise of his literary alter ego “Freydal”, the Emperor jousted to prove his love for a noble lady. The story ends with the lady agreeing to marry him—she is no other than Mary of Burgundy, whom Maximilian wed in 1477 at Ghent.Produced under the direct supervision of Maximilian himself, Freydal is an invaluable record of late-medieval chivalry, one which introduces us to the jousts that the Emperor revived and even invented—such as the spectacular Rennen mit geschifften Tartschen, where shields would be catapulted into the sky and disintegrated into metal wedges. To this day, it remains the largest extant tournament book from the Late Middle Ages and the essential source on European courtly festivities of the early modern era. Much too fragile to be on permanent display, the miniatures are safely locked away in the vaults of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. To commemorate the fifth centenary of Emperor Maximilian I’s death, TASCHEN reproduces the complete 255 miniatures in full-color photographs, making the unique manuscript accessible to all for the very first time. The astounding collection is introduced by Stefan Krause, director of the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s Imperial Armoury, who tells its fascinating story.

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Bertie Rex O’Bryen Hoare was born on 6 June 1912. Having been educated at Harrow and Wye Agricultural College, ‘Sammy’, as he was often known to friends and family, entered the RAF on a short-service commission in 1936. In October 1938, whilst piloting a Fairey Battle, Bertie sustained a serious injury from a piece of loose aircraft cowling. This incident resulted in him being totally blinded in one eye. Though he was initially grounded, his determination to return to the air never diminished. The outbreak of war in September 1939 saw his wish be granted when Bertie was given permission to return to operational flying duties. Bertie was posted to 23 Squadron, which was flying Blenheims at the time. The squadron then converted to Havocs, the crews being tasked with undertaking night-time operations over Occupied Europe. Despite his restricted night vision and depth perception, Bertie went on to became one of the RAF’s leading advocates in the art of what was known as ‘intruder operations’. In the months and years that followed, Bertie served in, and then commanded, a number of RAF squadrons. By the time the war in Europe came to an end he was the Station Commander at RAF Little Snoring in Norfolk – which, at the time, was home to de Havilland Mosquitos undertaking intruder operations. Bertie opted to remain in the RAF after the war, this time being posted to 84 Squadron. However, his luck finally ran out on 26 March 1947, when the Mosquito he was ferrying to Australia crashed off its northern coast. With Bertie reported missing at the time, Danny Burt reveals the full circumstances of this tragic incident. This is the biography of one of the RAF’s greatest characters of the Second World War. With his ‘epic’ over-sized moustache, Bertie Hoare was a pilot who had risen to the rank of Group Captain, been awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Bar, the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar, and been Mentioned in Despatches. Bertie ended the war having flown over 100 combat sorties.

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Lost in the woods with a horse, a mouse, and the ghost of a dead bird, you will discover if you're meant to live.In Sarah Blake's epic poem of survival, we follow a nameless main character lost in the woods. There, they discover the world anew, negotiating their place among the trees and the rain and the animals. Something brought them to the woods that nearly killed them, and they're not sure they want to live through this experience either. But the world surprises them again and again with beauty and intrigue. They come to meet a pregnant horse, a curious mouse, and a dead bird, who is set on haunting them all. Blake examines what makes us human when removed from the human world, what identity means where it is a useless thing, and how loss shapes us. In a stunning setting and with ominous dreams, In Springtime will take you into a magical world without using any magic at all—just the strangeness of the woods.7.If only the night held one dream instead of many.In the next dream you dig up the bird.In the next dream you dig in the same place and find a gun. You've shot someone. You weren't supposed to return to this place where you hid the gun.You're an idiot in your dream.In the next dream the horse returns. The horse startles you awake. But you are still asleep. Dreams are some wicked things.In the next dream you are in a desert. That's different.You forget what grass is. What it smells like. What the shadows of trees look like across your legs.You laugh your head off at the sight of a cactus.In the next dream you can see the spirit of the bird that will haunt you for weeks. Her tongue makes you think all of her words will come out garbled.Then you remember all she does is sing.

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Experience the breath taking and unspoiled islands that await just a short hop from mainland Portugal with Moon Azores. Inside you'll find:- Strategic, flexible itineraries for exploring individual islands or combining them into a longer trip, with coverage of Porto and Lisbon- The top outdoor adventures: Cave-dive into the depths of an extinct volcano, soak in a steaming hot spring, and catch some sun on Santa Maria's golden sand beaches. Dive or snorkel in crystalline waters filled with shipwrecks and colourful marine life. Spot dolphins, humpback whales, and more on an island cruise and go bird-watching on a lush São Jorge fajã. Hike to stunning viewpoints above Sete Cidades Lake or summit the epic, snow-capped Mount Pico- Must-see highlights and unique experiences: Stroll through sprawling gardens and secret grottoes in Terra Nostra Park or sip Gorreana tea at Europe's only tea plantation. People watch over a cup of coffee in the UNESCO historical center of Angra do Heroísmo or admire the famous mariner murals in Horta Marina. Savor fresh seafood and local charcuterie in a seaside village, browse traditional cheeses at a morning market, and sample basalt wines- Expert advice from long-time Portugal resident Carrie-Marie Bratley- Full-colour photos and detailed maps throughout- Background information on the landscape, history, and cultural customs of the islands- Handy tools such as visa information, a Portuguese phrasebook, and tips for LGBTQ+ travellers, seniors, families, and moreWith Moon's practical tips and local know-how, you can experience the best of the Azores.Heading to the mainland? Check out Moon Portugal.About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell-and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you.For more inspiration, follow @moonguides on social media.

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This glorious saga unfolds against the backdrop of ancient Rome—from the Forum to the Coliseum, from banquet halls to summer retreats in Naples, from the luxurious houses of the nobility to the hovels of the poor, Quo Vadis richly depicts a place and time still captivating to the modern imagination. This radiant translation by W.S. Kuniczak restores the original glory and richness of master storyteller Henryk Sienkiewicz's epic tale.Set at a turning point in history (A.D. 54-68), as Christianity replaces the era of corruption and immorality that marked Nero’s Rome, Quo Vadis abounds with compelling characters, including: Vinicius, the proud centurion who has fallen deeply in love with a mysterious young woman who disappears the night they meet;Ligia, the elusive beauty. Vinicius will not easily win her love, for she is a Christian, one of the group of dedicated believers led by the apostle Peter. Christians are rare in pagan, hedonistic Rome, and suffer great persecution; Petronius, uncle to Vinicius, an elegant, witty courtier who scoffs at love and religion but finds his nephew’s passion charming; and Nero himself, enemy of all Christians, a despotic emperor who plunges Rome deeper and deeper into depravity. The decadence of his banquets is staggering; and even worse, his mad laughter is heard echoing in the amphitheater as gladiators duel to the death. As Nero’s appalling plans for the Christians become ever clearer, time appears to be running out for the young lovers. Vinicius must come to understand the true meaning of Ligia’s religion before it is too late.Grand in scope and ambition, Quo Vadis explores the themes of love, desire and profound moral courage. Lavish descriptions, vivid dialogue and brilliantly drawn characters make this one of the world’s greatest epics. Beloved by children and adults the world over, Quo Vadis has been the subject of five films, two of them in English.

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“Filled with vivid details, shocking truths, and two sly, strong women who bring panache and humor to every scene. I’m simply in awe of the masterful, magical way Lauren Willig makes history come alive.” — Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Place"A winning epic of war and friendship. Readers will devour this riveting tale."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig: a dramatic coming-of-age story with a dual timeline and a single heroine—a bold and adventuring young woman who finds herself caught up in two very different wars on both sides of the Atlantic.September 1896: An aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into the male-dominated field of excavation. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously. But when a simmering conflict between Greece and Turkey erupts into open warfare, Betsy throws herself into the conflict as a nurse, not knowing that the decision will change her life forever—and cause a deep and painful rift with her oldest friend, Ava.June 1898: Betsy has sworn off war nursing—but when she gets the word that her estranged friend Ava is headed to Cuba with Clara Barton and the Red Cross to patch up the wounded in the Spanish-American War, Betsy determines to stop her the only way she knows how: by joining in her place. Battling heat, disease, and her own demons, Betsy follows Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders straight to the heart of the fighting, where she is forced to confront her greatest fears to save both old friends and new….Set during an electrifying era of nation-building, idealism, and upheaval, Two Wars and a Wedding is the tale of two remarkable women striving to make their place in a man’s world—an unforgettable saga of friendship, love, and fighting for what is right.

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From Victoria Glendinning, winner of the Duff Cooper Prize, the James Tait Black Prize and (twice) the Whitbread Prize for Biography. ‘It’s Succession in tailcoats and spats … This is a vivid and eye-opening group biography, backgrounded by the rise of supermarket moguls from humble beginnings’ Sunday Times Who was John Lewis? What story lies behind the retail empire that bears his name? Behind the glass windows and displays of soft furnishing, this book reveals the family that founded the shops in all their eccentricities, and whose relationships became blighted by conflicts of epic proportions as their wealth bloomed. Born into poverty, John Lewis was orphaned at the age of seven when his father died in a Somerset workhouse. Dreaming of a better life, the young man travelled to London at the start of what would become a retail revolution. From early years as a draper’s apprentice, we see how Lewis’s first pokey little business opened on Oxford Street in 1864, and expanded as an emerging middle class embraced the department stores as a recreational experience. Prize-winning biographer Victoria Glendinning has had full access to the company and family archives to write this eye-opening story. She captures the toxic relationships that unfolded between Lewis and his two sons, Spedan and Oswald, as they collided over the future of their retail empire – their worst moments including emotional blackmail, face-slapping and a kidnapping – and much litigation between father and both sons. Yet the family never broke up and Spedan’s vision of a Partnership model to act as an ethical corrective and foster a community of happier, more productive workers was eventually realised and survives to this day. With riveting personal detail, this brilliant group biography captures a rags-to-riches story and a tempestuous family saga, all unfolding against the dramatic social and political worlds of nineteenth-century London. The book concludes with an assessment of the position John Lewis holds in British sensibilities, and whether John Lewis and institutions like it have a place in our future.

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“The story of the legendary martial arts fighter and kickboxer Oum Ry is by turns pulse-pounding, disturbing, and powerful. His is an astonishing life told beautifully by his daughter Zochada Tat and Addi Somekh. The book will grip you from its first pages and not let you go."—Jeff Chang, author of Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America and Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop GenerationOum Ry (b.1944) is a former international champion kickboxer who first brought the Cambodian martial art Pradal Serey to the United States. When his family of silver engravers couldn't afford his food or schooling, he lived with monks until seeking out Pradal Serey masters, soon becoming national champion at 23 years old and one of the most famous fighters in the region. For 15 years, he toured Southeast Asia, and without ever suffering a knock-out, won more than 250 fights. After a young man’s dream-life of stardom, parties, and girls, his new wife gave birth to a child in 1975, two months before the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh and threw the country into the chaos of civil war, where starvation, disease, and mass executions were common.Oum Ry survived the genocide though much of his family perished. He was saved many times from death in Cambodia due to fame, talent, and his resilience, but suffered a life-threatening attack during Southern California’s epic gang violence of the 1990s. Earlier, as a refugee with his young family in Chicago, Oum Ry learned English while working cleaning hotels. But within a few years, he had an investor in Long Beach, California and opened one of the first kickboxing gyms in the United States.This is Oum Ry's life story, which is propelled by his highly anticipated return to Cambodia in February 2022 to reunite with family and to pass on Pradal Serey traditions to the next generation.

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'He is in a category of one. You can't believe that a person like this stalks the earth. A complete original and an amazing person' MARINA HYDE'A visionary masterpiece' JOHN GRAY, NEW STATESMANThe long-awaited memoir by the legendary filmmaker and celebrated author. Told in Werner Herzog's inimitable voice, this is the story of his epic artistic career, as inventive and daring as anything he has done before.Hauling a steamship over a mountain in the jungle; walking from Munich to Paris in the dead of winter; descending into an active volcano; living in the wilderness among grizzly bears - Werner Herzog has always been intrigued by extremes of human experience. Here, he illuminates the influences and ideas that have driven his creativity and shaped his unique worldview.Herzog's life matches the drama of his famous films: the boy growing up in poverty in a small village in the Alps after the Second World War; the teenager travelling the world in search of adventure that almost cost him his life; the director trying to calm his leading actor Klaus Kinski in the Amazonian jungle. And along the way, Herzog tells of ordinary people with extraordinary stories: rural labourers, circus acrobats, child soldiers.Every Man for Himself and God Against All is at once a personal record of one of the great self-invented lives of our time, and a masterpiece that will enthral fans old and new. In a hypnotic swirl of memory, Herzog untangles and relives his most important experiences and inspirations, telling his story for the first and only time.*A New Statesman Book of the Year 2023*---Praise for Werner Herzog's previous books:'Has the eerie power of the best fairytales. It hits you with the force of dreams' HELEN MACDONALD'Surely the strangest, strongest walking book I know ... only Herzog could have written this weird, slender classic' ROBERT MACFARLANE'Herzog's writing bristles with the same eerie and uncompromising energy as his films' GUARDIAN

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'So, so good! ... More gems than a pirate's chest ... science, art, history, culture - it's epic and mammoth, a repository of all our truths through their lives' Chris PackhamA powerful and fascinating insight into the 100 animals - from the blue whale to the mosquito - that have had the biggest influence on humanity through the ages. We are not alone. We are not alone on the planet. We are not alone in the countryside. We are not alone in cities. We are not alone in our homes. We are humans and we love the idea of our uniqueness. But the fact is that we humans are as much members of the animal kingdom as the cats and dogs we surround ourselves with, the cows and the fish we eat, and the bees who pollinate so many of our food-plants. In The History of the World in 100 Animals, award-winning author Simon Barnes selects the 100 animals who have had the greatest impact on humanity and on whom humanity has had the greatest effect. He shows how we have domesticated animals for food and for transport, and how animals powered agriculture, making civilisation possible. A species of flea came close to destroying human civilisation in Europe, while the slaughter of a species of bovines was used to create one civilisation and destroy another. He explains how pigeons made possible the biggest single breakthrough in the history of human thought. In short, he charts the close relationship between humans and animals, finding examples from around the planet that bring the story of life on earth vividly to life, with great insight and understanding. The heresy of human uniqueness has led us across the millennia along the path of destruction. This book, beautifully illustrated throughout, helps us to understand our place in the world better, so that we might do a better job of looking after it. That might save the polar bears, the modern emblem of impending loss and destruction. It might even save ourselves.

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A BEAUTIFUL 62-CARD ORACLE & AFFIRMATION CARD DECK FOR MAKING YOUR DREAM A REALITY – NEWLY UPDATED AND REVISED FROM ITS ORIGINAL KICKSTARTER EDITION.Bring intuition, magic, and expansive potential into your life and your business with this 62-card oracle deck that will help you plan your soul journey toward your big dream. WHAT'S YOUR SOUL CREATING? An uplifting oracle card deck with a comprehensive guidebook for dream-chasers and magic-makers seeking spirituality, serendipity, magic, intuition, and expansive potential in everyday life – or in business!Example positive oracle messages include:· Over-thinking Can Spoil the Magic · You Are Magic· Overrate Your Intuition· You. The Muse· You Are Epic· Move Beyond Intention to Belief · Collaboration of Souls· Choose Who You Are Becoming· Fierce Serenity· Integrate Your Knowing· Light in the UnexpectedMake your big sacred dream a reality with this completely revised and updated Hay House edition of The Sacred Creators Oracle. The affirmations and loving messages you receive will guide you to take inspired action in your purpose-filled life as you map your soul's journey or plan your next creative project. The extra journal prompts for each oracle card are a fun, simple way to rethink the challenges you encounter and inspire magic so your creator spirit will thrive.“I’ve been helping lightworking creatives and soul shakers to launch their big, sacred lives for more than 15 years, but this deck was my very first product. This oracle system is meant to help you blend the strategic and the intuitive, and the oracle cards are meant as both intuitive messages and affirmations as you build the steps toward that which you want. I sincerely hope that these cards find a permanent place in your life-building toolkit, and that your pilgrimage toward success is filled with light and love and joy.Here’s to experiencing the very best version of ourselves! Big love, sweet sacred creator! I wish you all the success and happiness in the world.xo, Chris-Anne

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The first volume of Hershel Parker's definitive biography of Herman Melville-a finalist for the 1997 Pulitzer Prize-closed on a mid-November day in 1851. In the dining room of the Little Red Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts, Melville had just presented an inscribed copy of his new novel, Moby-Dick, to his intimate friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the man to whom the work was dedicated. "Take it all in all," Parker concluded, "this was the happiest day of Melville's life." Herman Melville: A Biography, Volume 2, 1851-1891 chronicles Melville's life in rich detail, from this ecstatic moment to his death, in obscurity, forty years later. Parker describes the malignity of reviewers and sheer bad luck that doomed Moby-Dick to failure (and its author to prolonged indebtedness), the savage reviews he received for his next book Pierre, and his inability to have the novel The Isle of the Cross-now lost-published at all. Melville turned to magazine fiction, writing the now-classic "Bartleby" and "Benito Cereno," and produced a final novel, The Confidence Man, a mordant satire of American optimism. Over his last three decades, while working as a customs inspector in Manhattan, Melville painstakingly remade himself as a poet, crafting the centennial epic Clarel, in which he sorted out his complex feelings for Hawthorne, and the masterful story "Billy Budd," originally written as a prose headnote to an unfinished poem. Through prodigious archival research into hundreds of family letters and diary entries, newly discovered newspaper articles, and marginalia from books that Melville owned, Parker vividly recreates the last four decades of Melville's life, episode after episode unknown to previous biographers. The concluding volume of Herman Melville: A Biography confirms Hershel Parker's position as the world's leading Melville scholar, demonstrating his unrivaled biographical, literary, and historical imagination and providing a rich new portrait of a great-and profoundly American-artist.

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Take your gathering at the campsite, cabin, or backyard firepit from fun to fantastic with these cozy cocktails and fireside treats. Maybe you earned it with a long hike or maybe it was just a long week at work: Either way, there’s no arguing with the appeal of an evening spent with friends or family around the fire. This book lets you choose your own adventure when it comes to sips, sweets, and communal cooks. Author Emily Vikre shares dozens of all-new recipes as well as a few greatest hits and remixes from Camp Cocktails and The Family Camp Cookbook, so you’re sure to find just what you want for your next trip: The Happiest Hour: You’ve finished unpacking and it’s time to set out some snacks and drinks for the group. Choose from hot dates, skillet spiced nuts, Norwegian stick bread with dips, campfire queso, “baked” Brie, and grilled nachos, and pair them with drinks like a fireside old fashioned, tinto de verano, amaro spritz, or junglebird punch. Campfire Shareables: Make an epic, interactive meal with choose-your-own-adventure food on sticks—from hot dogs to kebabs. Or break out a pie iron and make fireside chimichangas, potpies, pizza pockets, or grilled cheese. After-Dinner Treats and Cozy Drinks: S’mores, bananas foster, campfire monkey bread, or foil pack pears...how do you choose? Or if you’re in the mood for a warm drink, try a peppermint schnapps hot chocolate, boozy (or not) hot cider, or a chamomile tea toddy. Leisurely Mornings: Rise and shine and pair that camp coffee or French press dirty chai with skillet biscuits and scrambled eggs, brown sugar-chili glazed bacon, eggs in spiced tomato sauce, fluffy peach-filled pancakes, or easy breakfast quesadillas. From sweet to savory and from spiked to sober, you’re sure to find the perfect pairing for your next fireside gathering.

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Now a major TV series on Prime Video The prequel novel to the globally bestselling Wheel of Time series - a fantasy phenomenonThe city of Canluum lies close to the scarred and desolate wastes of the Blight, a walled haven from the dangers away to the north, and a refuge from the ill works of those who serve the Dark One. Or so it is said. The city that greets Al'Lan Mandragoran, exiled king of Malkier and the finest swordsman of his generation, is instead one that is rife with rumour and the whisperings of Shadowspawn. Proof, should he have required it, that the Dark One grows powerful once more and that his minions are at work throughout the lands.And yet it is within Canluum's walls that Lan will meet a woman who will shape his destiny. Moiraine is a young and powerful Aes Sedai who has journeyed to the city in search of a bondsman. She requires aid in a desperate quest to prove the truth of a vague and largely discredited prophecy - one that speaks of a means to turn back the shadow, and of a child who may be the dragon reborn.'Epic in every sense' - Sunday Times'With the Wheel of Time, Jordan has come to dominate the world that Tolkien began to reveal' New York Times'A fantasy phenomenon' SFXThe Wheel of Time series:Book 1: The Eye of the WorldBook 2: The Great HuntBook 3: The Dragon RebornBook 4: The Shadow RisingBook 5: The Fires of HeavenBook 6: Lord of ChaosBook 7: A Crown of SwordsBook 8: The Path of DaggersBook 9: Winter's HeartBook 10: Crossroads of TwilightBook 11: Knife of DreamsBook 12: The Gathering StormBook 13: Towers of MidnightBook 14: A Memory of LightPrequel: New SpringLook out for the companion book: The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

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“How good it is to hear a Darug voice speaking of Darug history.”—Kate Grenville, author of The Secret River, winner of the Commonwealth PrizeBlending the mythical power of Téa Obreht and the epic scope of Min Jin Lee, a searing historical novel that tells a story of colonization, survival, and resistance in a way never done before—a beautiful, brilliant, and brutal reimagining of the first contact between Indigenous people and white British settlers and the far-reaching consequences for one Aboriginal girl coming of age in an unsteady and dangerous world.For all known time, Muraging’s people, the Darug, have lived on this land between the river and the sea. But change comes swiftly in the early years of the nineteenth century when White settlers begin to arrive, laying claim to the continent, long inhabited by Aboriginal tribes like Muraging’s, for the British empire. At ten years old, Muraging is given over to the Parramatta Native School by her father, where the missionaries call her Mary James, force her to abandon her culture and language, and teach her subjects they believe will save her soul: English, Christianity, and housework. Six years later, seeking a brighter future, Muraging flees the school, embarking on a journey of discovery and a search for a safe place in an unfamiliar and unsteady new world—an odyssey far more winding and treacherous than she ever dreamed. Spanning two decades, from 1816-1835, and set around the Hawkesbury River area, the home of the Darug people in Parramatta and Sydney, Benevolence sheds light on the heartbreaking violence and erasure of colonization, as well as remarkable survival and resistance—a vivid and compelling portrait of the Aboriginal Australians whose way of life is forever altered. Award-winning Australian writer Julie Janson’s draws on historical events to recreate this pivotal time—things that may have happened to her own ancestors—giving voice to an Aboriginal experience of early-settlement in Australia.

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“National Velvet with monsters and a big helping of palace intrigue, Race the Sands is monstrous (literally), heartwarming, and empowering in equal measure. An incredibly fun and inspiring read.” – Katherine Arden, New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the NightingaleIn this epic standalone fantasy, the acclaimed author of the Queens of Renthia series introduces an imaginative new world in which a pair of strong and determined women risk their lives battling injustice, corruption, and deadly enemies in their quest to become monster racing champions.Life, death, and rebirth—in Becar, who you are in this life will determine your next life. Yet there is hope—you can change your destiny with the choices you make. But for the darkest individuals, there is no redemption: you come back as a kehok, a monster, and are doomed to be a kehok for the rest of time.Unless you can win the Races. After a celebrated career as an elite kehok rider, Tamra became a professional trainer. Then a tragic accident shattered her confidence, damaged her reputation, and left her nearly broke. Now, she needs the prize money to prevent the local temple from taking her daughter away from her, and that means she must once again find a winning kehok . . . and a rider willing to trust her. Raia is desperate to get away from her domineering family and cruel fiancé. As a kehok rider, she could earn enough to buy her freedom. But she needs a first-rate trainer. Impressed by the inexperienced young woman’s determination, Tamra hires Raia and pairs her with a strange new kehok with the potential to win—if he can be tamed.But in this sport, if you forget you’re riding on the back of a monster, you die. Tamra and Raia will work harder than they ever thought possible to win the deadly Becaran Races—and in the process, discover what makes this particular kehok so special.

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National Bestseller"Gives you all the context you need to understand the science of immunity. ... An Elegant Defense left me with [a] sense of awe.” —Bill Gates, Gates Notes Summer Reading ListThe Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times journalist "explicates for the lay reader the intricate biology of our immune system" (Jerome Groopman, MD, New York Review of Books)From New York Times science journalist Matt Richtel, An Elegant Defense is an acclaimed and definitive exploration of the immune system and the secrets of health. Interweaving cutting-edge science with the intimate stories of four individual patients, this epic, first-of-its-kind book “give[s] lay readers a means of understanding what’s known so far about the intricate biology of our immune systems” (The Week).The immune system is our body’s essential defense network, a guardian vigilantly fighting illness, healing wounds, maintaining order and balance, and keeping us alive. It has been honed by evolution over millennia to face an almost infinite array of threats. For all its astonishing complexity, however, the immune system can be easily compromised by fatigue, stress, toxins, advanced age, and poor nutrition—hallmarks of modern life—and even by excessive hygiene. Paradoxically, it is a fragile wonder weapon that can turn on our own bodies with startling results, leading today to epidemic levels of autoimmune disorders.An Elegant Defense effortlessly guides readers on a scientific detective tale winding from the Black Plague to twentieth-century breakthroughs in vaccination and antibiotics, to today’s laboratories that are revolutionizing immunology—perhaps the most extraordinary and consequential medical story of our time. Drawing on extensive new interviews with dozens of world-renowned scientists, Richtel has produced a landmark book, equally an investigation into the deepest riddles of survival and a profoundly human tale that is movingly brought to life through the eyes of his four main characters, each of whom illuminates an essential facet of our “elegant defense.”

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The brand new book in the bestselling Liverpool-set gangland crime series is OUT NOW ‘If you like Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers you will LOVE [Caz Finlay]’ Reader Review Together they stand When Grace Carter’s granddaughter goes missing, the family pulls out all the stops to find her. But with no ransom demand and no contact from the kidnappers, no one knows where to turn. Together they fall Then a sinister message directed at Grace informs the family that this isn’t business. This abduction is personal. Together they will exact revenge As the Carters try to work out who’s done the dirty on them, their list of rivals grows longer. But which of their enemies would go to such extreme lengths to tear the family apart? And Jake Conlon will stop at nothing to bring his daughter home safely, even if it means putting his own life at risk. Have you discovered Caz Finlay? See what readers are saying about A Score to Settle ‘Caz Finlay has smashed it again. Another epic read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fast paced… highly recommended’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One of my favourite series… excellent’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An exciting read with plenty of twists and turns. Go and binge the whole series’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another brilliant book… Caz is so talented’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Gripping, gritty and everything you could want from this gangland series’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A thrilling fast-paced read with great characters’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘My heart was in my mouth reading this book and revenge is on going in the worst possible way’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A pacy book that hooks you from the beginning to end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another knockout’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘One hell of a series’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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‘Once again, Goranson channels the epics of the past to take the reader on a journey filled with adventure, danger, and forbidden love … I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, Viking tales, and mythology!’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review WIFE. DAUGHTER. DREAMER. Anja Freydisdottir has always heard whispers of her mother’s adventures in Vinland. All she longs for is to spread her wings and follow them but she’s trapped by the expectations of 11th-century society. Liberation comes from an unexpected source when she is helped to flee across the Atlantic on a Viking longboat bound for Vinland shores. Haunted by the ominous shadows of a family history she does not know, Anja must seek a perilous path into an unfamiliar wilderness to find her answers… The Flight of Anja is an unmissable historical novel of epic adventure and forbidden love – perfect for fans of Vikings and Outlander. What readers are saying: ‘I really enjoyed this book, it was beautifully written, almost lyrical in its prose, and had a gripping and emotive storyline full of adventure, romance and voyaging. I loved it’ Aria, NetGalley ‘I really liked getting to see the places Freydis went to in this book. Mostly because of how they all praised and liked her … I’m excited for the next Viking adventure in this series. Especially since it’s about Bjorn!’ Alaina, NetGalley ‘The writing is beautiful and reflects the time period of ruthlessness and the place of harsh climate … This book 2 can stand alone; however, I highly recommend reading also book 1 – The Voyage of Freydis’ Annette, NetGalley ‘A great story with unforgettable characters… It has a lot of Norse mythology, which was interesting to read about. I hope the author writes more about these characters. Fantastic cover art!’ Steph, NetGalley ‘I loved this book again, and I am very much looking forward to read part 3’ Jantine, NetGalley

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‘Historical fiction at its best’ Reader review The Tattooist of Auschwitz meets Girl with a Pearl Earring in this gripping, dual-timeline historical novel about one of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous paintings and the woman who fought to save it from the Nazis. ‘Simply a masterpiece… Fans of Kristin Hannah’s Nightingale and Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See will delight in this epic novel’ Lori Nelson Spielman Between 1939 and 1943, the Nazis attempted to steal every known painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, imprisoning the original owners or worse. This is the story of the most infamous of these thefts… Munich, 1939 In fear of the brutal Nazi regime, art conservator Edith Becker is forced to find one of the world’s most priceless works of art and hand it over to none other than Hans Frank – the Butcher of Poland.Confronted by the horrors she witnesses in Poland and risking her own life, Edith tries to hide her own small acts of resistance – and avoid the unpredictable gaze of Frank himself. Milan, 1492 Cecilia Gallerani, the beautiful mistress of the Duke of Milan must fight for her place in the palace—and against those who want her out. Sitting before Leonardo da Vinci, she becomes the subject of his most ambitious portrait to date. Two women, separated by 500 years, are swept up in the tide of history as one painting stands at the centre of their quests for their own destinies. Readers absolutely love The Night Portrait: ‘A truly original novel that has earned its place among my favourite works of historical fiction’ Jennifer Robson ‘I found myself racing through the last chapters to see how the story ended and would definitely recommend this book to historical fiction lovers’ Joanne ‘Gives us so many heartbreaking and yet wonderful experiences…an excellent book that and kept me glued to the pages’ Angela ‘Remarkable…brushstrokes of magic here’ Book Trail ‘Breathtaking…this isn’t just another book about WWII’ Sarah ‘A fascinating dual timeline novel with its roots in reality…compelling’ Julia

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How did the most wanted man in the country outwit the greatest manhunt in British history? In January 1649, King Charles I was beheaded in London outside his palace of Whitehall and Britain became a republic. When his eldest son, Charles, returned in 1651 to fight for his throne, he was crushed by the might of Cromwell’s armies at the battle of Worcester. With 3,000 of his supporters lying dead and 10,000 taken prisoner, it seemed as if his dreams of power had been dashed. Surely it was a foregone conclusion that he would now be caught and follow his father to the block? At six foot two inches tall, the prince towered over his contemporaries and with dark skin inherited from his French-Italian mother, he stood out in a crowd. How would he fare on the run with Cromwell’s soldiers on his tail and a vast price on his head? The next six weeks would form the most memorable and dramatic of Charles’ life. Pursued relentlessly, Charles ran using disguise, deception and relying on grit, fortitude and good luck. He suffered grievously through weeks when his cause seemed hopeless. He hid in an oak tree – an event so fabled that over 400 English pubs are named Royal Oak in commemoration. Less well-known events include his witnessing a village in wild celebrations at the erroneous news of his killing; the ordeal of a medical student wrongly imprisoned because of his similarity in looks; he disguised himself as a servant and as one half of an eloping couple. Once restored to the throne as Charles II, he told the tale of his escapades to Samuel Pepys, who transcribed it all. In this gripping, action-packed, true adventure story, based on extensive archive material, Charles Spencer, bestselling author of Killers of the King, uses Pepys’s account and many others to retell this epic adventure.

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The second novel of a major new Feist acquisition, returning to his best-loved series. Written with Joel Rosenberg. The second Riftwar collaboration, Murder in LaMut, written by masters of fantasy Raymond E. Feist and Joel Rosenburg. The heavy action was supposedly at Crydee these days which meant that the one place they could be sure the three of them were not going was Crydee. Come spring, the privateer Melanie was due in Ylith, and its captain could be counted on for a swift conveyance away for sure, and likely not to murder them in their sleep.That would be bad for business.But away where?That wasn't Durine's worry. Kethol would surely be able to find the three of them somebody who needed men who knew which part of the sword you used to cut with and which part you used to butter your bread, and Pirojil would be able to negotiate a price at least half again what the employer was ready to pay. All Durine would have to do was kill people. That was fine with him. Durine, Kethol and Pirojil are three mercenaries who have spent twenty years fighting other people's battles: against the Tsurani and the Bugs and the goblins, and now it seems they've run out of Tsurani, Bugs and goblins to kill. The prospect of a few months of garrison duty offers a welcome respite; but then they are given an assignment that seems, on the surface, like cushy work – to protect a lady and her husband and deliver them safely to the city of Lamut.It should all have been so simple… Raymond E. Feist is the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed Riftwar Saga, the Serpentwar Saga and the epic Krondor series. Joel Rosenberg is best-known for The Guardian of the Flame sequence. His other fantasy work includes D'Shai novels and the Keeper of the Hidden Ways series.

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“Just the thing for a cold winter’s night between episodes.” —The Washington Post Book World “Fans of the show will undoubtedly enjoy the chance to read Jane’s book in real life.” —Entertainment Weekly It’s been a lifetime (and three seasons) in the making, but Jane Gloriana Villanueva is finally ready to make her much-anticipated literary debut!Jane the Virgin, the Golden Globe, AFI, and Peabody Award–winning The CW dramedy, has followed Jane’s telenovela-esque life—from her accidental artificial insemination and virgin birth to the infant kidnapping and murderous games of the villainous Sin Rostro to an enthralling who-will-she-choose love triangle. With these tumultuous events as inspiration, Jane’s breathtaking first novel adapts her story for a truly epic romance that captures the hope and the heartbreak that have made the television drama so beloved. Snow Falling is a sweeping historical romance set in 1902 Miami—a time of railroad tycoons, hotel booms, and exciting expansion for the Magic City. Working at the lavish Regal Sol hotel and newly engaged to Pinkerton Detective Martin Cadden, Josephine Galena Valencia has big dreams for her future. Then, a figure from her past reemerges to change her life forever: the hotel’s dapper owner, railroad tycoon Rake Solvino. The captivating robber baron sets her heart aflame once more, leading to a champagne-fueled night together. But when their indiscretion results in an unexpected complication, Josephine struggles to decide whether her heart truly belongs with heroic Martin or dashing Rake. Meanwhile, in an effort to capture an elusive crime lord terrorizing the city, Detective Cadden scours the back alleys of the Magic City, tracking the nefarious villain to the Regal Sol and discovering a surprising connection to the Solvino family. However, just when it looks like Josephine’s true heart’s desire is clear, danger strikes. Will her dreams for the future dissolve like so much falling snow or might Josephine finally get the happy ever after she’s been dreaming of for so long?

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'The kind of history deserving of a cinematic blockbuster' Julia Lovell, Literary Review'[A] gripping and meticulously researched account of an epic effort to transport delicate scrolls, paintings and carvings thousands of miles under the threat of bombing and invasion' Rana Mitter, Times Literary Supplement'Brilliant and thrilling... A tale of daring and adventure... A desperate race against time' Paul French, South China Morning Post_____The gripping true story of the intrepid curators who saved China's finest art from the ravages of the Sino-Japanese War and World War II.Spring 1933. The silent courtyards and palaces of Peking's Forbidden City are tense with fear and expectation. Japan's aircraft drone overhead; its troops and tanks are only hours away. All-out war between China and Japan is coming, and the curators of the Forbidden City are faced with an impossible question: how will they protect the vast imperial art collections in their charge?The magnificent collections contain a million pieces of art - objects that carry China's deepest and most ancient memories. Among them are irreplaceable artefacts: exquisite paintings on silk, vanishingly rare Ming porcelain and the extraordinary Stone Drums of Qin, which are adorned with 2,500-year-old inscriptions of crucial cultural significance.For sixteen terrifying years, under the quiet leadership of museum director Ma Heng, the curators would go on to transport the imperial art collections thousands of miles across China - up rivers of white water, across mountain ranges and through burning cities. In their search for safety the curators and their fragile, invaluable cargo journeyed through the maelstrom of violence, chaos and starvation that was China's Second World War.Told for the first time in English and playing out across a vast historical canvas, this is the exhilarating story of a small group of men and women who, when faced with war's onslaught on civilisation, chose to resist.'Fascinating... Brookes marries a reporter's grasp of detail with a novelist's narrative flair to bring clarity and readability to a complicated period of China's troubled history' Mail on Sunday

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CAUTION: THIS BOOK IS ADDICTIVE . . .'A brilliant, brilliant novel. Incredbily gripping and scary!' Susanna Reid, Good Morning Britain'Had me gripped from start to finish.' Jane Fallon'Creepy, paranoid and shocking.' Alex Michaelides'Twisty, insightful and completely absorbing.' Celia Walden'Everyone needs to buy and read it.' Rob Rinder_____________How well do you know the people next door?You've moved to your dream home: a gorgeous honey-coloured house in the country.It's a new beginning: your chance to put the terrible truth of what happened to you in the city behind you.But your new neighbours have secrets of their own.Terrifying secrets. Unimaginable secrets.And when you learn about the previously happy family who lived - and died - in your house, you start to wonder how safe you really are . . .______________'Tony Parsons strikes again with a new epic thriller... It's a nail-biter until the end!' That's Life'A brilliant page-turning thriller.' Piers Morgan'As elegant and vivid as ever' Daily Mail'Builds like a Hitchcock classic' Peterborough Telegraph'This one will keep you guessing' Heat'The sort of thriller you could read again and again' Belfast Telegraph'A creepy tale of a couple whose move to the country, to what they'd hoped was their little corner of paradise, turns into a nightmare' Choice_____________Readers are loving The People Next Door ...***** 'There's just no words really to describe how much I LOVED this book.'***** 'Great storytelling, tension-filled and very enjoyable.'***** 'Tony Parsons hooked me from the first few chapters, and I found it really hard to put down, I'd highly recommend it to any thriller lovers.'***** 'This book really twists and turns in a way that I love. I really enjoyed this book and would not hesitate to recommend it!'***** 'I couldn't leave the book for a minute until I'd discovered how it would all end ... A brilliant book.'

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The sensational Reese's Book Club Pick hit!Have you discovered New York Times bestseller and Reese's Book Club pick Jasmine Guillory yet?'The queen of contemporary romance' OprahMag.com'She writes the sexiest and smartest romances' Red Magazine'Just as essential to a good summer holiday as SPF' Grazia'Amazing story . . . just the right mix of funny and touching' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A wonderful and fun love story' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'She manages to mix romance, with hot steamy passion . . . a charming, warm, sexy gem of a novel' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐...........................................................A proposal . . . ? Not everyone wants one . . .When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game in LA with her actor boyfriend, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn't difficult - they've only been dating for five months, and he can't even spell her name correctly. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans . . .At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik's rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He's even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik's social media goes crazy. Believing that neither of them are looking for anything serious, Nik embarks on an epic rebound with the handsome doctor, filled with food, fun, and fantastic sex. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, will they be brave enough to admit what they're really feeling?...........................................................PERFECT FOR FANS OF EMILY HENRY, CHRISTINA LAUREN AND TESSA BAILEY!'A charming, warm, sexy gem' ROXANE GAY'The undisputed queen of the modern-day romance' Vogue'Juicy yet meaningful, like every Guillory classic' Elle'Steamy and swoonworthy' PopSugar'When Jasmine Guillory comes out with a book, buy it' Refinery29If you love this, be sure to check out all of Jasmine's smart and sexy rom-coms:The Wedding DateThe ProposalThe Wedding PartyRoyal HolidayParty of TwoWhile We Were DatingDrunk on Love

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An all-encompassing, chronological guide to football's World Cup, one of the world's few truly international events, in good time for the June 2018 kick-off in Russia. From its beginnings in 1930 to the modern all-singing, all-dancing self-styled 'greatest show on Earth', every tournament is covered with features on major stars and great games, as well as stories about some less celebrated names and quirky stats and intriguing essays. Holt's focus is very much on what takes place on the field, rather than how football is a mirror for economic corruption, or how a nation's style of play represents a profound statement about its people, or how a passion for football can lift underpaid, socially marginalised people out of poverty. From the best World Cups, in 1958 and 1970, to the worst, in 1962 and 2010, he looks behind the facts and the technical observations to the stories: the mysterious sins of omission; critical injuries to key players; and coaching U-turns. He explains how England's World Cup achievements under Sven-Göran Eriksson, far from being a national disgrace, were actually quite impressive, and looks at why Alf Ramsey didn't take Bobby Charlton off in 1970, but this is no parochial, jingoistic account. The book also asks why Brazil did not contribute in 1966, despite having won the previous two tournaments and going on to win the next one? Why the greatest players of their day did not always shine at the World Cup - George Best and Alfredo Di Stefano, for example, never even made it to the Finals. Why did Johann Cruyff not go to the 1978 World Cup? And why did one of Germany's greatest players never play in the World Cup?There are lots of tables, some filled with obvious, but necessary information, but others with more quirky observations. Alongside accounts of epic games, there are also brief biographies of all the great heroes of the World Cup.

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An Amazon.ca Editor's Pick for 2012 and a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book of 2012Shortlisted, Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction, Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, and John W. Dafoe Book PrizeLonglisted, Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-FictionA provocative examination of how communications has shaped the language of the media, and vice versa, and how rhetoric shapes how Canadians thinks of themselves as a nation and Canada's engagement in peacekeeping, war, and on the international stage. According to Richler, each phase of engagement in Afghanistan has been shaped not only by rhetoric but an overarching narrative structure. This topic is very much in discussion at the moment. With the withdrawal of Canadian troops (at least in part) from Afghanistan, it becomes clear there had been a rhetorical cycle. Where once Canada wielded the myth of itself as a peacekeeping nation, the past decade has seen a marked shift away from this, emphasizing the Canadian soldier as warrior. Yet now, as the country withdraws, the oratorical language we use steps away from heroes, able warriors, and sacrifice and back towards a more comfortable vision of Canada in a peacekeeping/training role. In recent years, Canada has made large financial investments in the apparatus of war — in a manner it hasn't in a very long time — and as the realities of war are brought home (the losses, the tragedies, the atrocities, the lasting repercussions that come home with the soldiers who were on the front lines), Richler contends that it's crucial we understand our national perspective on war — how we have framed it, how we continue to frame it. Using recent events to bolster his arguments, including the shooting of American congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the earthquake in Haiti, Richler argues that very possibly the epic narrative of Canada is winding back down to that of the novel as we slowly regain our peacekeeping agenda.

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Ravenheart continues the tale of the Rigante. Packed with epic battles, hard, bloody steel, honour, magic and mystery, this heroic fantasy by the Sunday Times bestselling author David Gemmell is perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, John Gwynne and Conn Iggulden.'Characterization, always a strength in this writer's work, is even deeper and subtler. In the realm of people-driven, solidly plotted fantasy fiction, Gemmell set the standard' Time out'Gemmell has every right to take his place among the SF and fantasy greats' SFX'For me one of the best writers of this genre' ***** Reader review'Fabulous storytelling, excellent characters, this is fantasy at its very best' ***** Reader review***********************************************************************Eight hundred years have passed since King Connavar of the Rigante and his bastard son, Bane, defeated the invading army of Stone.Connavar has since become a legend, and the Rigante have lost the freedom so many gave their lives to preserve. They live and die under the iron rule of the Varlish, their culture all but destroyed.One woman still follows the ancient paths once trod by the Rigante, and she alone knows the nature of the evil soon to be unleashed on a doomed and unsuspecting world. She pins her initial hopes on two men: Jaim Grymauch, the giant Rigante fighter, and Kaelin Ring, a youth whose deadly talents will earn him the enmity of all Varlish. One will become the Ravenheart, an outlaw leader whose daring exploits will inspire the Rigante. The other will forge a legend and light the fires of rebellion.The Wyrd knows that ultimately all hopes will rest on a third man. Of the bloodline of Connavar the King, he will need to overcome generations of fear and hatred if he is to achieve his destiny.For he is a Varlish nobleman, and - worse - the son of the Rigante's greatest enemy . . .Have you read Sword in the Storm and Midnight Falcon - the first two tales of the Rigante? Their story concludes in Stormrider.

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Now a major TV series on Prime Video The ninth novel in the Wheel of Time series - one of the most influential and popular fantasy epics ever published.Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, is slowly succumbing to the taint that the Dark One has placed upon the saidin - the male half of the True Source. His Asha'man followers are also showing signs of the insanity that once devastated the world and brought the Age of Legends to an end. And as Rand falters, the Shadow falls across a stricken land. In the city of Ebou Dar the Seanchan, blind to the folly of their cause, marshal their forces and continue their relentless assault. In Shayol Ghul the Forsaken join together to destroy the Dragon. Rand's only chance is to hazard the impossible and remove the taint from the saidin. But to do so he must master a power from the Age of Legends that none have ever dared to risk - a power that can annihilate Creation and bring an end to Time itself.'Epic in every sense' Sunday Times'With the Wheel of Time, Jordan has come to dominate the world that Tolkien began to reveal' New York Times'[The] huge ambitious Wheel of Time series helped redefine the genre' George R. R. Martin'A fantasy phenomenon' SFXThe Wheel of Time series:Book 1: The Eye of the WorldBook 2: The Great HuntBook 3: The Dragon RebornBook 4: The Shadow RisingBook 5: The Fires of HeavenBook 6: Lord of ChaosBook 7: A Crown of SwordsBook 8: The Path of DaggersBook 9: Winter's HeartBook 10: Crossroads of TwilightBook 11: Knife of DreamsBook 12: The Gathering StormBook 13: Towers of MidnightBook 14: A Memory of LightPrequel: New SpringLook out for the companion book: The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

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***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***'ATMOSPHERIC AND FASCINATING' Joe Abercrombie'SPECTACULAR' Django WexlerFrom New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author Daniel Abraham, co-author of the Expanse, comes a monumental epic fantasy trilogy that unfolds within the walls of a single great city, over the course of one tumultuous year, where every story matters, and the fate of the city is woven from them all.Kithamar is a centre of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold. This is Alys's.When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives. Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.Praise for Age of Ash:'This outstanding series debut [. . .] instantly hooks readers with dual mysteries [. . .] Readers will eagerly anticipate the sequel' Publishers Weekly'Age of Ash is a stunningly written, character driven story, centred on thieves, grief and dark magic. Abraham certainly knows how to enchant his readers and transport them to the city of Kithamar, a place of beauty and of forbidding secrets' Fantasy Hive'Atmospheric and fascinating' Joe Abercrombie, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Little Hatred'Kithamar is a spectacular creation, a city brought to life by dance, intricate worldbuilding and subtle magic. Fans of Scott Lynch . . . will enjoy this one' Django Wexler, author of Ashes of the Sun'Daniel Abraham builds this world up with all the confident craftsmanship you'd expect from an author of his pedigree . . . So hang on to your cloak and dagger, Kithamar is in the hands of a pro' SFX

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***WINNER OF REDDIT FANTASY'S BEST NOVEL OF 2018 AWARD******WINNER OF FANTASY FACTION'S BEST FANTASY BOOK OF 2018 AWARD******WINNER OF THE 2018 BOOKNEST FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHED NOVEL***'Bloody Rose solidifies what Kings of the Wyld proved. Eames writes like a hurricane and has a voice like no one else in this genre' Sam Sykes'Kings of the Wyld was fun, but Bloody Rose is gods-damned epic . . . one of the best books of the year' Fantasy Hive*****Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown.When the biggest mercenary band of all rolls into town, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. It's adventure she wants-and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.IT'S TIME TO TAKE A WALK ON THE WYLD SIDE*****Reviews for the series:'I laughed and wept and worried a lot and had the most tremendous time reading Bloody Rose. Eames is a gifted and entertaining storyteller'Kevin Hearne, author of The Iron Druid Chronicles'Bloody Rose is bloody brilliant! It is a book that will make you remember why you fell in love with reading in the first place' The Tattooed Book Geek'Eames once again hits the perfect balance of humor and heart, irreverent references and real emotion' Django Wexler'A rollicking, page-turning, edge-of-your-seat road-trip of a book . . . wonderful' John Gwynne'Absolutely awesome . . . Full of heroes, humor, and heart' Jon Hollins'Eames' narrative voice is one of the best in this generation of fantasy authors' The Quill to Live'Brings brazen fun and a rock & roll sensibility to the fantasy genre' Sebastien de Castell'An entertaining, brilliantly crafted adventure . . . with just the right amount of grit and wit' Bibliosanctum'George R. R. Martin meets Terry Pratchett' Buzzfeed

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Learn all about life in the desert with this nature-themed installment of DK Books' new educational fiction series for children aged 7 to 9 years old.Meet the Secret Explorers - a band of brainiac kids from all around the world, here to take young readers on a series of fact-filled fictional adventures! Each with their own specialty, from outer space to dinosaurs, these young globetrotters will teach kids that learning can be fun, encouraging them to become experts in something they love. In this story, Leah the biology explorer and Connor the marine expert set off into the Mexican desert. There, they have to rescue a pack of wolf cubs while avoiding dust storms! The gripping narrative is filled with scientific facts as the explorers navigate the desert and come across different species and habitats.This epic adventure is packed with: - Fun facts and beautiful illustrations of the desert.- Informative diagrams to make science and nature seem simple.- A summary of all the scientific discoveries made throughout the story.- Quizzes, mission notes, and a glossary of definitions making it the perfect classroom read.Let's explore! The Secret Explorers and the Desert Disappearance by SJ King is the perfect gift for children who are interested in all things nature, with information about plants and animals that will stretch the wildest of imaginations. Never miss a mission! A total of 12 different books, The Secret Explorer series is both educational and imaginative, combining exciting stories with real-life facts.Embark on a space mission adventure in The Secret Explorers and the Comet Collision. Travel back in time to save a dinosaur egg from destruction in The Secret Explorers and the Jurassic Rescue. Take part in a volcano rescue in The Secret Explorers and the Smoking Volcano. Then travel to the arctic for a rescue mission in Secret Explorers and the Missing Scientist.Whatever your preferred topic, there's a mission waiting for you!

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Documentary film can encompass anything from Robert Flaherty's pioneering ethnography Nanook of the North to Michael Moore's anti-Iraq War polemic Fahrenheit 9/11, from Dziga Vertov's artful Soviet propaganda piece Man with a Movie Camera to Luc Jacquet's heart-tugging wildlife epic March of the Penguins. In this concise, crisply written guide, Patricia Aufderheide takes readers along the diverse paths of documentary history and charts the lively, often fierce debates among filmmakers and scholars about the best ways to represent reality and to tell the truths worth telling. Beginning with an overview of the central issues of documentary filmmaking--its definitions and purposes, its forms and founders--Aufderheide focuses on several of its key subgenres, including public affairs films, government propaganda (particularly the works produced during World War II), historical documentaries, and nature films. Her thematic approach allows readers to enter the subject matter through the kinds of films that first attracted them to documentaries, and it permits her to make connections between eras, as well as revealing the ongoing nature of documentary's core controversies involving objectivity, advocacy, and bias. Interwoven throughout are discussions of the ethical and practical considerations that arise with every aspect of documentary production. A particularly useful feature of the book is an appended list of "100 great documentaries" that anyone with a serious interest in the genre should see. Drawing on the author's four decades of experience as a film scholar and critic, this book is the perfect introduction not just for teachers and students but also for all thoughtful filmgoers and for those who aspire to make documentaries themselves. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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Thomas Hardy's tragic vision of a love struggling to overcome prejudice and rejection, The Return of the Native is edited in Penguin Classics with an introduction by Penny Bouhmelha.Against the lowering background of Egdon Heath, fiery Eustacia Vye passes her days, wishing only for passionate love. She believes that her escape from Egdon lies in marriage to Clym Yeobright, home from Paris and discontented with his work there. But Clym wishes to return to the Egdon community; a desire which sets him in opposition to his wife and brings them both to despair. Based on the first edition of the text, this edition includes detailed notes of later revisions made by Hardy, glossary, bibliography and useful chronology of author's life. In her introduction Penny Bouhmelha identifies the literary and classical allusions in Hardy's text, in particular the parallels with Flaubert's Madame Bovary and with the Oedipus story. In so doing she demonstrates Hardy's claim for tragic status for ordinary human lives and the ways that the characters in the novel - especially the ill-fated lovers and Damon Wildeve - spoil their chances to master their own destinies.Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), born Higher Brockhampton, near Dorchester, originally trained as an architect before earning his living as a writer. Though he saw himself primarily as a poet, Hardy was the author of some of the late eighteenth century's major novels: The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891), Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), and Jude the Obscure (1895). Amidst the controversy caused by Jude the Obscure, he turned to the poetry he had been writing all his life. In the next thirty years he published over nine hundred poems and his epic drama in verse, The Dynasts.If you enjoyed The Return of the Native, you might like Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, also available in Penguin Classics.'The greatest tragic writer among the English novelists'Virginia Woolf

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The Sunday Times bestseller ‘One of the most dramatic forgotten chapters of the war, as told in a new book by the incomparable Max Hastings’ DAILY MAIL In August 1942, beleaguered Malta was within weeks of surrender to the Axis, because its 300,000 people could no longer be fed. Churchill made a personal decision that at all costs, the ‘island fortress’ must be saved. This was not merely a matter of strategy, but of national prestige, when Britain’s fortunes and morale had fallen to their lowest ebb. The largest fleet the Royal Navy committed to any operation of the western war was assembled to escort fourteen fast merchantmen across a thousand of miles of sea defended by six hundred German and Italian aircraft, together with packs of U-boats and torpedo craft. The Mediterranean battles that ensued between 11 and 15 August were the most brutal of Britain’s war at sea, embracing four aircraft-carriers, two battleships, seven cruisers, scores of destroyers and smaller craft. The losses were appalling: defeat seemed to beckon.This is the saga Max Hastings unfolds in his first full length narrative of the Royal Navy, which he believes was the most successful of Britain’s wartime services. As always, he blends the ‘big picture’ of statesmen and admirals with human stories of German U-boat men, Italian torpedo-plane crews, Hurricane pilots, destroyer and merchant-ship captains, ordinary but extraordinary seamen. Operation Pedestal describes catastrophic ship sinkings, including that of the aircraft-carrier Eagle, together with struggles to rescue survivors and salvage stricken ships. Most moving of all is the story of the tanker Ohio, indispensable to Malta’s survival, victim of countless Axis attacks. In the last days of the battle, the ravaged hulk was kept under way only by two destroyers, lashed to her sides. Max Hastings describes this as one of the most extraordinary tales he has ever recounted. Until the very last hours, no participant on either side could tell what would be the outcome of an epic of wartime suspense and courage.

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Sunday Times Bestseller and Blackwell's Non-Fiction Book of the Month.Over one hundred years after its wreck, Endurance, Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship, was found in the depths of the most hostile sea on Earth. The Ship Beneath the Ice is the astonishing story of the ship and its discovery, told by Mensun Bound, the Director of Exploration on the Endurance22 Expedition.'As thrilling as any tale from the heroic age of exploration . . . Bound’s account is a triumph' – Sunday TimesOn 21 November 1915, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, Endurance, finally succumbed to the crushing ice. Its crew watched in silence as the stern rose twenty feet in the air and then, it was gone. The miraculous escape and survival of all twenty-eight men on board have entered legend. And yet, the iconic ship that bore them to the brink of the Antarctic was considered forever lost.A century later, an audacious plan to locate the ship was hatched. The Ship Beneath the Ice gives a blow-by-blow account of the two epic expeditions to find the Endurance. As with Shackleton’s own story, the voyages were filled with intense drama and teamwork under pressure. In March 2022, the Endurance was finally found to headlines all over the world.Written by Mensun Bound, maritime archaeologist and Director of Exploration in the search to find the Endurance, this captivating narrative recounts incredible stories of Shackleton and his legendary ship, and the journey to its rediscovery. Beautifully illustrated with Frank Hurley’s photos from Shackleton’s original voyage in 1914–17, as well as from the expeditions in 2019 and 2022, The Ship Beneath the Ice is the perfect tribute to this monumental discovery.'The story of Shackleton’s Endurance is one of the most extraordinary in the history of exploration. This is more than just an astonishing sequel. It is a tale just as powerful, and one which redefines the meaning of impossible' – Sir Michael Palin

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'Ingenious and compelling' THE TIMES, SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS OF THE MONTH'Mind-bendingly clever and utterly gripping' DAILY MAIL, SCI-FI BOOKS OF THE MONTH'A fascinating and assured debut' THE GUARDIAN, BEST RECENT SCIENCE FICTIONIt's 1962 and physics student Grace Pulansky believes she has met the man of her dreams, Robert Jones, while serving up slices of pecan pie at the local diner. But then the FBI shows up, with their fedoras and off-the-rack business suits, and accuses him of being a bomb-planting mass-murderer.Finding herself on the run with Jones across America's Southwest, the discoveries awaiting Gracie will undermine everything she knows about the universe. Her story will reveal how scores of lives - an identity-swapping rock star, a mourning lover in ancient China, Nazi hunters in pursuit of a terrible secret, a crazed artist in pre-revolutionary France, an astronaut struggling with a turbulent interplanetary future, and many more - are interconnected across space and time by love, grief, and quantum entanglement.Spanning continents, centuries, and dimensions, this exquisitely crafted and madly inventive novel - a triple-disk, concept-album of a book - is a profound yet propulsive enquiry into the nature of reality - the perfect immersive read for fans of David Mitchell, Emily St. John Mandel, Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood.'A book designed to be more than the sum of its parts, and one that achieves that because love is the thing that binds it together. Vitally fresh' DOMINIC NOLAN'With strong echoes of David Mitchell, Haruki Murakami or Emily St John Mandel...this is a madcap ride to somewhere new with thrills to spare and a gallery of truly fascinating characters. One for the ages.' CRIME TIME'A trans-dimensional, kaleidoscopic mystery-box of a novel.... wholly and riotously original. Haddon is a mad scientist of genre and his epic is a tour de force.' PETER HO DAVIES

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Ben Hecht had seen his share of death-row psychopaths, crooked ward bosses, and Capone gun thugs by the time he had come of age as a crime reporter in gangland Chicago. His grim experience with what he called “the soul of man” gave him a kind of uncanny foresight a decade later, when a loose cannon named Adolf Hitler began to rise to power in central Europe.In 1932, Hechtsolidified his legend as ""the Shakespeare of Hollywood"" with his thriller Scarface, the Howard Hughes epic considered the gangster movie to end all gangster movies. But Hecht rebelled against his Jewish bosses at the movie studios when they refused to make films about the Nazi menace. Leveraging his talents and celebrity connections to orchestrate a spectacular one-man publicity campaign, he mobilized pressure on the Roosevelt administration for an Allied plan to rescue Europe's Jews. Then after the war, Hecht became notorious, embracing the labels “gangster” and “terrorist” in partnering with the mobster Mickey Cohen to smuggle weapons to Palestine in the fight for a Jewish state.The Notorious Ben Hecht: Iconoclastic Writer and Militant Zionist is a biography of a great twentieth century writer that treats his activism during the 1940s as the central drama of his life. It details the story of how Hecht earned admiration as a humanitarian and vilification as an extremist at this pivotal moment in history, about the origins of his beliefs in his varied experiences in American media, and about the consequences. Who else but Hecht could have drawn the admiration of Ezra Pound, clowned around with Harpo Marx, written Notorious! and Spellbound with Alfred Hitchcock, launched Marlon Brando's career, ghosted Marilyn Monroe's memoirs, hosted Jack Kerouac and Salvador Dalí on his television talk show, and plotted revolt with Menachem Begin? Any lover of modern history who follows this journey through the worlds of gangsters, reporters, Jazz Age artists, Hollywood stars, movie moguls, political radicals, and guerrilla fighters will never look at the twentieth century in the same way again.

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And how could she go on living between two worlds, one she knew and understood but could no longer be in, and another that she was in but was not permitted to know? Pregnant after rape, seventeen-year-old Josephina Hansen is exiled from her family home in Kiel in the north of Germany. She finds refuge with her sister’s Danish family in Sønderborg, then in Hamburg with a philanthropic businessman and, later, a radical journalist and his sister. In 1880 the worsening political situation forces this makeshift family into exile – and a new life in a small farming settlement in the Kaitīeke valley in New Zealand. Accompanying Josephina on the journey is an ancient sewing sampler given to her by her grandmother. In its lovingly stitched pictures she finds a way of mapping the world she has come from – and that is traversed by the birds of her childhood, the Rohrsänger or reed warblers, which migrate yearly from the salt marshes near her home to ‘somewhere nice and warm where the oranges grow’. Josephina’s story is framed by the reunion of Frank and Beth, descendants of two of her three children by different fathers. It is Beth’s discovery of the reason for the disappearance from the family story of Josephina’s third child that unlocks memory and meaning from the intricately stitched story of the migrating reed warblers. The Reed Warbler is a beautiful and rich family saga that weaves together the lives of six generations, overseen, as Josephina’s son Wolf would observe at a family reunion in 1915, by ‘Ma with that glint in her eye’. ‘Epic, engrossing and richly patterned, The Reed Warbler explores complex migrations: the way human lives move inexorably towards their futures while at the same time doubling back on their pasts. In tracing the story of Josephina and her family, Ian Wedde invites us to consider the threads that tether us to our own histories.’ —Catherine Chidgey

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A Completely Original and Captivating Dystopian Alternate History#1 Best Seller in Absurdist FictionAn ambitious feat of engineering and a continent in crisis. The Atlantropa Articles is an epic saga by YouTuber Cody Franklin (Alternate History Hub), with contributions from YouTuber Joseph Pisenti (Real Life Lore).In an alternate history timeline, World War II never takes place. Instead, a plan is put into effect by Hitler and the Nazi party to drain the Mediterranean Sea. They promise fertile land, millions of jobs and endless energy, new land to be settled, and living space for a crowded continent. To realize this new world, all of Europe came together and signed a treaty called ‘The Atlantropa Articles’.Nazism survives in a new Europe. By promising to bring endless energy through hydro-electricity and employing millions to build the dams, fascism only cements itself as a mainstream ideology. Hitler is seen as a modern Napoleon, one of the greats for his time. Nazism never disappears.The Reich remains eternal. Two millennia later, the Reich runs the world. Aryans have become a race of their own, outnumbering their neighbors and ruling with a messianic passion towards Hitler. Europe has been united under the banner of the swastika.The sea is gone and the promise failed. But the plan of a fertile lush land was never realized. The project took decades longer than anticipated. By the time it is completed, what they find is a salty barren world. Now the Mediterranean Sea is a desert basin known only as the Kiln. Southern Europe has been abandoned. This is where Ansel’s story begins—a story of discovery, lies, and false prophets. The Atlantropa Articles is an astounding science fiction, alternate history tale that will thrill and transport you with its detailed world and startling intimacy.If you’re a fan of books by Harry Turtledove, Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle, or Stephen King’s 11/22/63, you’ll love The Atlantropa Articles.

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Buckle up for an explosive adventure! Discover the dramatic power of an erupting volcano in this action-packed sixth installment of DK’s new educational fiction series! Meet the Secret Explorers - a band of brainiac kids from all around the world. Everyone in this diverse group of young experts has a specialty, from outer space to dinosaurs, and each story follows a character who gets chosen for a “secret exploration”. This edge-of-your-seat science book for kids is packed with: • Fun facts and illustrations about the Earth’s tectonic plates • Simple and engaging explanations on how volcanoes are formed • Quizzes, mission notes, and a glossary of words with definitions • Information that supports a STEM-based curriculum A new adventure unfoldsIn this fun, fact-filled children’s science book, we join volcanoes expert Cheng on an exciting mission to Mount Yasur on the island of Vanuatu. Joined by biology expert Leah, the team is beyond excited to witness a real-life volcanic eruption.But soon, excitement turns to worry when they realize that people are in danger. Working together swiftly and heroically, they must stage a rescue mission. Kids will love turning the pages to find out if the Secret Explorers manage to succeed in their mission!It’s the perfect gift for children aged 7-9 who love all things geology. Packed with lots of information on volcanoes, this epic adventure book gives them a thrilling introduction to earth science. Don’t let the discoveries stop Each book in the series combines exciting adventures with real-life facts related to the Secret Explorers’ latest fictional mission. Don't miss out on more secret explorations! Dive into an underwater adventure in The Secret Explorers and the Lost Whales. Travel back in time to save a dinosaur egg from destruction in The Secret Explorers and the Jurassic Rescue. Finally, set out on a journey to stop the Cairo Museum from closing down in The Secret Explorers and the Tomb Robbers.

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Disfruta de los siete libros de la serie de fantasía clásica de C. S. Lewis, Las crónicas de Narnia, en un impresionante volumen de tapa dura.Bestias parlantes, hazañas heroicas y batallas épicas entre el bien y el mal te esperan en la clásica serie fantástica de C. S. Lewis, que lleva más de sesenta años encantando a los lectores. Esta edición intemporal presenta los siete libros sin resumir y se presentan según el orden preferido de Lewis: El sobrino del mago El león, la bruja y el ropero El caballo y su muchacho El príncipe Caspian La travesía del Viajero del Alba La silla de plata La última batalla Cada capítulo está adornado con una ilustración de la artista original, Pauline Baynes. Además, contiene el ensayo de C. S. Lewis “Sobre tres formas de escribir para niños”, en el que explica con precisión cómo la magia de Narnia y el reino de la fantasía atraen no solo a los niños, sino a lectores exigentes de todas las edades.The Chronicles of NarniaExperience all seven books of C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia, in one stunning hardcover volume.Talking beasts, heroic exploits, and epic battles between good and evil await you in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has been enchanting readers for more than sixty years. This timeless edition presents all seven books unabridged and are presented in Lewis's preferred order: The Magician's Nephew The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe The Horse and His Boy Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Last Battle Each chapter is adorned with an illustration by the original artist, Pauline Baynes. In addition, it contains C. S. Lewis's essay "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," in which he explains precisely how the magic of Narnia and the realm of fantasy appeal not only to children, but to discerning readers of all ages

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From ants scurrying under leaf litter to bees able to fly higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, insects are everywhere. Three out of every four of our planet’s known animal species are insects. In The Insect Crisis, acclaimed journalist Oliver Milman dives into the torrent of recent evidence that suggests this kaleidoscopic group of creatures is suffering the greatest existential crisis in its remarkable 400-million-year history. What is causing the collapse of the insect world? Why does this alarming decline pose such a threat to us? And what can be done to stem the loss of the miniature empires that hold aloft life as we know it? With urgency and great clarity, Milman explores this hidden emergency, arguing that its consequences could even rival climate change. He joins the scientists tracking the decline of insect populations across the globe, including the soaring mountains of Mexico that host an epic, yet dwindling, migration of monarch butterflies; the verdant countryside of England that has been emptied of insect life; the gargantuan fields of U.S. agriculture that have proved a killing ground for bees; and an offbeat experiment in Denmark that shows there aren’t that many bugs splattering into your car windshield these days. These losses not only further tear at the tapestry of life on our degraded planet; they imperil everything we hold dear, from the food on our supermarket shelves to the medicines in our cabinets to the riot of nature that thrills and enlivens us. Even insects we may dread, including the hated cockroach, or the stinging wasp, play crucial ecological roles, and their decline would profoundly shape our own story. By connecting butterfly and bee, moth and beetle from across the globe, the full scope of loss renders a portrait of a crisis that threatens to upend the workings of our collective history. Part warning, part celebration of the incredible variety of insects, The Insect Crisis is a wake-up call for us all.

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Passionate about trying to create social justice in a time of crisis after the Black Plague, William Langland spent his entire life working on Piers Plowman, an epic study of the human quest for truth, justice, and community. The ""A Version,"" the first and shortest of the three versions he crafted, is wonderfully relatable and completely teachable to a modern student audience. Piers Plowman is becoming ever more relevant to students and scholars in English studies. Perhaps because the poem involves culture, religion, community, and work and engages explicitly with the histories of government and popular revolt, this allegorical tale of a wandering Christian named ""Will,"" searching for truth with the aid of a humble plowman named Piers, has found new critical and pedagogic life in the last 20 years. Currently there are no translations of the A-version of Piers Plowman in print, so readers, scholars and teachers have been longing for an affordable, student-centered translation. The apparatus includes a 30-page historical and critical introduction, footnotes, a bibliography, a note on translation theory and practice, and samplings of the original text in Middle English, with a guide to pronunciation of that language.Piers Plowman is an extraordinary important document about the issues dramatically relevant to this day. It confronts poverty and inequity in 14th-century England and explores the need for virtue and social justice, encouraging its readers to create equality with open access for people of all classes and abilities. Though a Christian poem, Piers addresses issues of inclusivity, social responsibility and communal duty, as the poem's protagonist wanders about the world, facing injustice and persecution as he looks for truth and salvation. Michael Calabrese, author of An Introduction to Piers Plowman and director of the Chaucer Studio's Middle English recording of the poem, brings Piers Plowman to life for 21st-century students and for all readers interested in the history of society, virtue, faith and salvation.

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The first European artist-naturalists to tour North America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were awed not only by the continent's varying landforms but also by the animals they encountered: vast herds of buffalo, majestic horned stags, a bewildering variety of birds. The earliest sketches depicting these fauna began the remarkable tradition of wildlife in American art, a tradition that evolved along with the United States as a nation and still thrives today.For more than two decades, the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming, has honored and sustained this tradition by assembling the most comprehensive collection of paintings and sculptures portraying North American wildlife in the world. Wildlife in American Art presents for the first time a generous sampling of the museum's holdings, charts the history of this enduring theme in American art, and explores the evolving relationship between Americans and the natural resources of this continent.More than a museum catalogue, this volume offers descriptions of individual artists in the collection as well as in-depth, informative essays about what the natural environment has meant to Americans over time - untamed wilderness, sublime creation, endless resource, threatened habitat. Author and art historian Adam Duncan Harris also describes how these meanings have played out in painting and sculpture over the past two centuries. More than 125 full-color illustrations highlight the entire range of the museum's collection, from the western wilds of George Catlin to the desert drama of Georgia O'Keeffe. Also included are elegant birdstones carved by ancient Americans, exquisite avian artwork by John James Audubon, epic western scenes by Albert Bierstadt, idealistic depictions of unspoiled wilderness by Carl Rungius, and modern takes on the subject by Andy Warhol, Paul Manship, and Robert Kuhn.By bringing together and comparing works of unmatched beauty and majesty, this volume gives to a salient theme in American art the attention it has long deserved.

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Asian American superheroines Evie Tanaka and Aveda Jupiter protect San Francisco from perilous threats in the second book in this snarky and smart fantasy seriesOnce upon a time, Aveda Jupiter (aka Annie Chang) was demon-infested San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine, a beacon of hope and strength and really awesome outfits. But all that changed the day she agreed to share the spotlight with her best friend and former assistant Evie Tanaka—who’s now a badass, fire-wielding superheroine in her own right. They were supposed to be a dynamic duo, but more and more, Aveda finds herself shoved into the sidekick role. Where, it must be said, she is not at all comfortable.It doesn’t help that Aveda’s finally being forced to deal with fallout from her diva behavior—and the fact that she’s been a less than stellar friend to Evie. Or that Scott Cameron—the man Aveda’s loved for nearly a decade—is suddenly giving her the cold shoulder after what seemed to be some promising steps toward friendship. Or that the city has been demon-free for three months in the wake of Evie and Aveda’s apocalypse-preventing battle against the evil forces of the Otherworld, leaving Aveda without the one thing she craves most in life: a mission.All of this is causing Aveda’s burning sense of heroic purpose—the thing that’s guided her all these years—to falter.In short, Aveda Jupiter is having an identity crisis.When Evie gets engaged and drafts Aveda as her maid-of-honor, Aveda finally sees a chance to reclaim her sense of self and sets out on a single-minded mission to make sure Evie has the most epic wedding ever. But when a mysterious, unseen supernatural evil rises up and starts attacking brides-to-be, Aveda must summon both her superheroine and best friend mojo to take down the enemy and make sure Evie’s wedding goes off without a hitch—or see both her city and her most important friendship destroyed forever.

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Let your little nature-lover take a swing through the rainforest in this conservation-themed fifth installment of DK’s new educational fiction series! Meet the Secret Explorers - a band of brainiac kids from all around the world. Everyone in this diverse group of young experts has a specialty, from outer space to dinosaurs, and each story follows a character who gets chosen for a “secret exploration”. This edge-of-your-seat science book for kids is packed with: • Fun facts and illustrations about animals and plants found in the rainforest of Borneo • Simple and engaging explanations on how deforestation is altering our planet's biodiversity • Quizzes, mission notes, and a glossary of words with definitions • Information that supports STEM-based curriculums Kids to the rescue!In this fact-stuffed children’s science book, we follow rainforest expert Ollie on an exciting mission to rescue a lost baby orangutan in the steamy rainforest of Borneo. Accompanied by engineering expert Kiki, they set out in a glider to search for the friendly ape.Along the way, they encounter greedy plantation owners who are plotting to destroy the forest to expand a palm oil plantation! They also learn about the threat that endangered animals and plants face due to deforestation. Kids will love turning the pages to find out if the Secret Explorers manage to succeed in their mission!It’s the perfect gift for children aged 7-9 who love all things rainforest. Packed with lots of information on animal and plant life, this epic adventure book gives them a thrilling introduction to nature. Keep on exploring!Each book in the series combines exciting adventures with real-life facts related to the Secret Explorers’ latest fictional mission. Don't miss out on more secret explorations! Dive into an underwater adventure in The Secret Explorers and the Lost Whales. Travel back in time to save a dinosaur egg from destruction in The Secret Explorers and the Jurassic Rescue. Finally, set out on a journey to stop the Cairo Museum from closing down in The Secret Explorers and the Tomb Robbers.

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